Cliffhanger
by lesterlou
Summary: The GAang is stuck on a cliff side with no way down. Zutara and Taang


This is my first real attempt at a lot of dialogue. So if you have any tips let me know. I'm not for sure if I used "lying" and "lay" correctly so if anybody could tell me the rule that would be fantastic! Oh and tell me what you think too!

"Well this turned out to be a great success!" Sokka shouted out over the side of the cliff.

"Sokka, yelling is not going to help us any," Aang tried to pacify him.

Stomping towards the boulder that buried Aang in a big enough space to keep him relatively unharmed, but was unfortunately so small that he couldn't move an inch. Other than his mouth that is. "AANG! You can't even move enough to use any of your, oh so mystical, Avatar powers to help us get off this cliff! And it's not only that, but the best earthbender in the world is unconscious right next to you! And you know what's even worse?! I am stuck with these two useless benders!"

"HEY!" Katara cried.

"It's not my fault!" Aang's muffled cry came from underneath the boulder.

"Humph," came from Zuko who was lying on his stomach with half of his chest hanging over the cliff.

"Zuko, what are you looking for?" Katara asked as she lay down beside him.

"A way down."

"Do you see one?" Katara replied dubiously while staring at the vertical drop.

"I might if your hair wasn't blocking my view."

"Oh, sorry," Katara scoot back so she was merely sitting by his side.

"So…"

"So..what?" Zuko replied while inching forward a little more off the cliff trying to see further down the side.

Grabbing his leg to keep him from falling she asked, "So, do you think this is Aang's fault?"

Turning his head to face Katara, "What are you doing?"

"Huh?"

"Your hand."

"Oh," she said as she hastily removed her hand. After a few seconds of silence Katara opened her mouth to ask him what he thought when he answered her question.

"Well I don't see how the best earthbender in the world and the all powerful Avatar could be unaware enough to not notice a boulder falling from the sky."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on Katara. I know you're oblivious but I didn't think you were that oblivious." She opened her mouth to protest, "They've been secretly dating for that last couple of weeks."

"What? You can't be serious."

"Think about it. They've been sneaking off quite a bit lately and what else could they have been doing for them to be so distracted?"

"Oh." After watching Zuko crane his neck into several more awkward positions she started to speak again, "Ho-."

But she didn't have a chance to finish her thought because by then Zuko had finished his examination and had stood up turned to Sokka and yelled, "Sokka!"

"What!" Sokka whipped around from bickering with the boulder.

"Stop yelling at Aang and help me got off this cliff so that I can go get some help before they suffocate underneath that rock."

Sheepishly Sokka asked, "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to give me a hand down to a ledge twenty feet down, and then I think I can make it from there."

"Twenty feet!" Katara shrieked but nobody heard.

"Alright where do you want me?"

"Sokka!" Katara's voice rose even higher but again nobody heard.

"Right here and then I'll need you to lay on your stomach as far as you can while Katara-"

"Oh no, I'm not doing anything!" This finally got their attention.

"What do you mean?" said Sokka. "If you don't do this we might _die_ up here!"

"Did you ever think that Zuko might die if he tries to make that climb?!"

"Well-"

"Sokka, can I have a word with Katara for a second?" Zuko said while staring at Katara.

"Well…uh…but…uh…fine," he said exasperatedly.

The next thing Katara knew Sokka was as much on the other side of the boulder as he could be in their situation and Zuko was a lot closer than she'd been since, well since the crystal caves. "Katara, do you want to get off of here?"

"Yes, but I would prefer to get off of here with all of my friends alive."

"That's not going to happen if we don't get help soon. Toph shouldn't have been unconscious this long."

Hanging her head in defeat she whispered, "Just promise that you'll be careful."

"On one condition."

"What?" she looked up in confusion.

"I'll be careful on one condition." He said staring her straight in the eye.

"And what's that?" she asked getting a little irritated now.

"I want a kiss first."

"What?" she was starting to sound like a parrot now.

"Don't you think I should get a kiss in case I do die?"

"Ugh, you're impossible!" she threw her hands up in the air, which he caught with his own pulling her closer.

"If you don't give me a kiss I'm not going to be very careful on my way down," his breath cooling her red cheeks.

"Fine, but just a small one."

Grinning triumphantly Zuko moved closer making Katara's eyes flutter close. "Katara if you want me to be careful you're going to have to be the one to initiate the kiss."

"Oh…right," she whispered shyly. As she put her hands on his chest with his retreating to his sides she stared at his chest and meekly admitted, "I'm not very good at this."

"Don't worry, you'll do just fine." At that she looked into his eyes. Trusting him she leaned forward until they were a breath away from each other. Closing her eyes she leaned forward and kissed him.

It was meant to be a quick little peck, but as soon as Katara's lips had touched his one of Zuko's arms had wrapped all the way around her back and his other hand behind her neck trapping her too him. Katara wasn't the only one who was worried he might not survive the climb, but at least if he died he would be able to satisfy that curiosity that had kept him awake at nights for the past several weeks. Now he would now what it felt like to hold her in his arms, to feel her heart thumping next to his, to… But she wasn't responding. All of this would mean nothing to him if she didn't kiss him back and right as he was about to pull away he felt two cool objects wrap around his neck and her lips begin caressing his.

_She's kissing me back? _He thought, _she's kissing me back! _At that Zuko gave up all other thoughts and devoted all of himself into this small moment.

As the moment grew more heated Zuko pushed Katara's back into the boulder and began to kiss her cheeks, her eyes, her nose, her ears, and then back to her mouth but didn't quite make it there.

One moment they were kissing the next they lay in a heap on the ground.

"Holy crap Katara and Zuko! Could you please keep your hearts from beating so loud! You're going to blow out my eardrums!" Toph was yelling at them.

Burying her head in Zuko's chest Katara groaned.

"Toph! You moved the boulder! You saved the day! Mister Fire Lord over hear was going to try and get himself killed by climbing down the mountain!"

"Uh, Zuko?" Aang was scratching his head quizzically. "What are you doing on top of Katara?"

"Huh, Zuko get off my sister!"

"I should be asking you how Toph didn't see that boulder coming from a mile away," Zuko retorted while helping Katara to her feet.

Aang's eyes widened and Toph tensed. "You're right, stupid question."

"How is it a stupid question?" Sokka cried.

Katara started to gather everybody's things and asked, "You guys ready to get of this piece of rock?"

"No, I want to know why it's a stupid question," now Sokka was starting to whine. "Zuko, please tell me."

They started to head down the hill, "Ask Aang, he's the one who said it. Plus he has the most knowledge from his past avatar lives."

"Aang, Aang please tell me."

"Smooth." Katara whispered at Zuko's side.

Smirking slyly at Katara Zuko said "Don't think you're done convincing me I should be careful." He stole a quick kiss then took her hand and continued to follow group down the hill.

"Oh I hope I'm never done convincing you to be careful Zuko," she replied with a grin on her face.


End file.
